Epiphany
by Jann
Summary: An Inu-Yasha song fiction of the Staind Song. Rated for some considerable language and low-key violence. I tried to rate it how I thought a movie with similar levels of content would be.


::Author's Note::

Well, this is my first, and probably only, song fic. It was just that I was listening to "Break the Cycle" and decided that this song kinda reminded me of Inu-Yasha and I decided to write a song fic out of it. It's alternate universe and some characters, Kikyou, for example, may be a bit ooc. But I tried, eh?

Disclaimer: I don't own Inu-Yasha or "Epiphany." Inu-Yasha and all related characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi and "Epiphany" belongs to Staind.

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Epiphany

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Your words to me, just a whisper

Your Faces so unclear

It was raining.

Of course, it seemed like it was always raining now spring had began its course. Inu-Yasha couldn't help but be drawn by the rain. Somehow, it was the rain that let him remember a family. _The_ Family. Life had changed when his mother had died and everyone knew it. He couldn't run away when it rained as it was, beating on the windows like in punishment for Inu-Yasha's sins.

"Thinking about her again?" came the casual murmur above his head. Miroku had his head in his arms as he rested them on the back of Inu-Yasha's bus seat.

"Shut up, Miroku," Inu-Yasha mumbled sullenly.

Even with his head pressed upon the window, he couldn't see her face. It had been too long. Even her voice in his ear was fading.

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I try to pay attention

Your words just disapear

"Inu-Yasha," came the sultry voice in his ear.

"Gods, Kikyou, lemme alone for once," Inu-Yasha growled at the teenage-whore. At least, he had always seen her that way. Whore-ish. Always flirting, nothing intelligent to say. She was, in all reality, the kind of girl he hated. Why she was still his girlfriend, he didn't know.

Maybe she was just a good time when he was high.

But she had made him loose the one voice he had wanted to hear

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'Cause it's always raining, in my head

Forget all the things I should have said

A hand slid around his lower waist and another around his neck to reach up and trace his chin. A knee appeared in his lap and a tongue in his ear.

"Gerroffa me!" Inu-Yasha snapped, squirming away from Kikyou and closer to the window.

"Inu-Yasha, _I -- _"

"Hey, slut – he's not in need of your services right now," came Sango's voice, also from behind.

Kikyou turned and smacked Sango across the cheek. "Mind your own business, bitch."

Sango growled something and struggled against Miroku's hold on her arms. "Let go, damnit!"

With a triumphant air to her, Kikyou stalked to the back of the bus.

Inu-Yasha kept to his window.

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So I speak to you in riddles

Because my words get in my way

Inu-Yasha let his gaze drift from the window where the rain was falling in sheets to the owner of a voice a couple seats ahead and across the aisle to the right.

Higurashi Kagome wasn't the kind of girl for Inu-Yasha. He knew that without being told. They were partnered up for a project in History once, but even then, he couldn't understand her. In all reality, Kagome was the kind of girl his mother would have wanted for him. Worthy of the kind of girl Kagome was would have been the way his mother would have had him.

It wasn't the path he had chosen.

Kagome laughed again at something girl next to her said.

Inu-Yasha knew he couldn't have her. He knew his words alone could break the kind of girl she was.

He couldn't help what he felt; he could only ignore it.

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I smoke the whole thing to my head

And feel it wash away

Kagome turned for an instant and offered him a smile, the winning smile he strove for when they had done the project on feudal Japan.

But he blinked and it was gone.

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'Cause I can't take anymore of this

I wanna come apart

Or dig myself a little hole

Inside your precious heart

Inu-Yasha tore his eyes from the back of Kagome's head and tried to erase any feeling he thought he had for her. She wasn't to be his savior when he thought he would break into a million pieces and she wasn't to be his protector. She had no need for someone like Inu-Yasha.

"You're doing it again!" Sango screeched.

"What?! What'm I doing?!" Miroku demanded.

"Keep your hands where I can see 'em, houshi!"

All background noise.

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'Cause it's always raining, in my head

Forget all the things I should have said

"What'a you think you're looking at, shithead? A voice from the seat in front of Inu-Yasha barked. "You don't think you're checking out my girlfriend, do you?"

"Gods, Kouga, give it a rest," Kagome snapped. "I'm not your property, you know."

"He wasn't looking at anyone," was the reply the ever-stoic Miroku offered the prep. As long as anyone could remember, it had been preps against stoners at Sengoku High. As long as the class of 2004 could remember, though, it had been Kouga against Inu-Yasha and nothing good had ever come from their arguments.

"Did I ask you, houshi? Shithead! I'm talking _you!"_ Kouga taunted, standing to tower over Inu-Yasha.

"Kouga!" Kagome bit again. "Sit down!"

"Keep out've this, Kag."

"Stop picking fights, Kouga!"

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I am nothing more than

A little boy inside

"Nah," Inu-Yasha replied darkly, standing as well as the bus stopped. "He's fine. If he needs the shit beat out've 'im, he's come to the right guy."

"Inu-Yasha, I don't think -- "

"Sango, I don't need your help." Inu-Yasha turned from his friend to his opponent. "If he wants to settle this like an eight-year-old, we'll settle it like eight-year-olds."

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_That cries out for attention_

Though I always try to hide

Long, disheveled, black hair only made Inu-Yasha's amber eyes more foreboding. There was age in those eyes, though. There was age beyond which Kouga would ever have.

"Eight-year-olds, huh? You think I'm playing around?" Kouga demanded. "Come on, shithead – you _are_ the superior one, after all. Come on, if you're so tough."

Inu-Yasha tensed, but neither spoke nor took a shot. He had fought Kouga before. He was big on talk and low on balls.

"No one looks at my woman," he continued, sweat beads popping out on his forehead. He suddenly swung.

Inu-Yasha had anticipated the punch and ducked. He came up just as quickly and caught Kouga in the jaw, sending him backward against the seat in front of him.

"Knock it off!" the bus driver shouted over the intercom. "Or I'm coming back there!"

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And I talk to you like children

But I don't know how I feel

"Kouga! _STOP!"_ Kagome screamed, standing as well.

"Oh, that was a cheap shot, shithead," Kouga said, rubbing his jaw. "You'll pay for that one."

"Kouga!" Kagome repeated.

"Kagome, please do not interfere," Miroku said calmly. "You'll be hurt."

Kagome took that opportunity to look Inu-Yasha straight in the eye. "Please, don't hurt him."

"I . . ." Inu-Yasha began and he knew she knew. He wanted to hide his face from her, he didn't want her to know. He felt violated by the wonderful presence that made home in her eyes. At the same time, he felt like _he_ had tainted _her_.

He narrowed his eyes. "Stay out of this, wench."

Kagome looked shocked.

And then Inu-Yasha saw stars.

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I know I'll do the right thing

If the right thing is revealed

Inu-Yasha fell back into his seat and kneeled over from Kouga's direct blow to his gut. He struggled for air and inwardly cursed for letting himself be distracted. He heard a battlecry from Sango as she lunged forward to jump the seats.

"You stupid mother-fucker, I'll knock you into -- " 

Sango didn't get to finish when the bus driver, a tough old woman by the name of Kaede, reached the back seats. "Hey!" she barked, cutting Sango off. She grabbed Inu-Yasha by the shoulder. "You still alive?"

Inu-Yasha looked up in fury. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sango struggling against Miroku's hold yet again. "I'm fine, old woman. Lemme alone."

Kaede was unhurt by Inu-Yasha's brash response. She merely took Kouga by the ear dragged him to the front, lecturing him the entire way. "Provoking him, Lupin, that's really cool," she snapped.

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But it's always raining in my head

-- Forget all the things I should have said . . .

Inu-Yasha looked up to Kagome once more as the bus began to roll again.

She was crying.

The rain continued to pour upon them in sheets.


End file.
